The present invention relates to an aquatic plant harvester.
There has been an increasing interest in the use of aquatic plants as a food source or cash crop. Additionally, aquatic plants have found use in waste water treatment.
Aquatic plants, such as duck-weed, grow near the surface of bodies of water. Aquatic plants tend to have a rather large volume relative to their weight, i.e. a relatively low density. The growing and harvesting of aquatic plants in a waste water treatment system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,988, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Growing and harvesting aquatic plants has become an increasingly important industry. The plants provide a cash-crop while simultaneously improving the environment. Improving efficiency of growth and harvest techniques is an important factor in continued expansion in the industry of aquatic plant production. U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,988 describes a system of growing aquatic plants which increases yield and the effectiveness of those plants for waste water treatment. Continued improvement of harvesting techniques is important to continued industry growth.
Typically, prior art aquatic plant harvesters comprised a pontoon boat with an aft "gate." Floating aquatic plants were trapped between two pontoons of the boat while forward motion of the boat caused the plants to collect against the aft gate. In operation, harvested aquatic plants were most closely packed and at a highest density close to the aft gate and a lowest density near the bow end of the pontoon boat. This caused the harvested aquatic plants to have an overall wedge shape. This type of prior art aquatic plant harvester did not make efficient use of the harvest containment area.
There is a continuing need for efficient harvesting of aquatic plants.